ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. foot — a measure
  3. ball — a great time
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. spell — a short time
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. stock — shares
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. face — to confront
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stand — to bear
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. land — ground
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. face — to point toward
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. stock — goods
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. ball — a dance
  24. land — to come down

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com